Conor Bradley will start for Liverpool against Arsenal this weekend as Arne Slot switches the focus away from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who announced earlier this week that he would be leaving.
But while Slot has hinted that Bradley is now his main focus for the remainder of the current campaign, he also warned against comparing the Liverpool number 84 with the Reds’ number 66. “Let’s not compare with Trent already,” he said. “They are different types in my opinion; we all see Conor’s potential.
“But last week I walked on the pitch [at Stamford Bridge] with him. For me, it was a surprise to hear from him, he had a comment about the stadium and it was the first he was there as well.
“For me he is already there ahead of development than being at Chelsea for the first time. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been fit all season but to become a good player you have to be fit all season but we have a lot of confidence in him as a very good full-back for Liverpool.”
Liverpool still has Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace to play this season in the Premier League. It could reach a maximum of 91 points with three victories, but the most important thing is giving a rest to some stars and experimenting with others.
“First of all, Jurgen Klopp and the club left the team in a good place, with a lot of quality,” Slot added when he was asked about taking over from the German. “I don’t emphasize myself too much.
“There are so many opinions in football. Trouble in the hierarchy, in the ownership, sporting directors… then it is impossible to play on the pitch.
“There were problems above me at Feyenoord but it didn’t stop us playing well on the pitch. If you have a good squad and that is what we had, you just work with them and try to get the best out of them.”
On Trent Alexander-Arnold announcing his departure and how fans should react to the Liverpool number 66 at the weekend, Slot added: “People having an opinion on Trent, me or anyone, is nothing new.
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“Maybe it is a bit more negative than he is used to. I am not here to tell the fans how to react. The boys had a few days off, so I will wait and see how he feels.
“I have spoken to him on Whatsapp, but let’s wait and see. I am not here to tell the fans how to react.
“Trent said that us, as a team and club, not to be too distracted by this announcement, so I hope all the energy goes to the players, the fans and as less as possible to Trent, unless it is positive.”
Liverpool.com says: Giving as many minutes as possible to Bradley before the season ends makes a lot of sense. He has the ceiling to be the answer for Liverpool moving forward, but he just needs to prove that his fitness is at the level required.
